A dream we had kept in the pipeline for 8 years certainly took some planning.
We prepared and powered through the constant ebb and flow of work days. The countdown really began (and I mean really really started ticking in our minds) with our trip to Queenstown - a final blowout with all our best friends. We booked a luxurious house for the weekend and proceeded to paint the town red in whatever way we could. We made trips to Arrowtown (which looked particularly magnificent in its autumn colours) and Wanaka. The rest of the time was filled with eating, drinking, swimming in the lake, and talking absolute nonsense. I had fallen sick before the weekend, a sickness that has followed me right until now, but that couldn’t put a damper on that weekend.
Photo by William Maddison
The next week rolled by and we prepared for what we called ‘Herringfest - Aufweidehesen’ - the greatest party we would host in all our tenure at no. 2 Herringson Avenue. We invited most people we knew, from all time periods of our lives and build up to now. The theme was decided late in the piece to be The Sound of Music, playing on our ridiculous Germanisms that had seeped into our culture. One of those personal jokes few will come to understand or find amusing for that matter. We cleared my room, extended the dance floor, and made the strongest cocktail punch to date. The party was outrageously large and we certainly appreciated the masses of people who had come to see us off.
That was supposed to be the final party we would indulge in. Silly to think that was a possibility being the mad people we are. The following Wednesday had been announced as the going away party for the restaurant we worked at for more than three years, Bedford Soda and Liquor. Very kindly the owners had pledged to give proceeds from the evening to the charity.
Again we received a wonderful turnout with another set of beautiful people coming out of the woodwork to support us and see us off. That evening went until 5am.
Amidst the partying, however, there was work. We had been working hard to get sponsorship in a number of areas. Our first one, achieved more through chance and the kindness of a friend, was The Beauty Collective. I received a call from my friend and CEO of the company, Tim Cunningham, who had heard of the trip through a conversation with Arthur at the bar. He was dead keen to get the company involved and helping us in whatever way they could as they were looking for a cause to get behind - it may as well be ours!
Along with the Beauty Collective sponsorship we managed to get Katadyn on board who have provided us with a water filter and stove set up. In the final week of preparation we also acquired Macpac sponsorship which means we have nice raincoats, thermals, and wholesale deals on anything else.
The final days were spent with family and friends amidst the painstaking process of packing down our flat and packing up all the gear we needed for the trip. Emotionally this time took a significant toll on all of us. You spend a lot of time questioning what you are doing and whether you have made the right decisions. The ball was well and truly rolling, however, and departure day crept up on us.
